


A Simple Reassurance

by icyvanity



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Crying, Fluff, M/M, Tears, its cute as hell, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 10:09:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6419614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyvanity/pseuds/icyvanity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neil starts to worry about the Moriyamas; Andrew sets him straight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Simple Reassurance

**Author's Note:**

> #9: things you said when I was crying (requested by anonymous)

The Foxes hadn’t lost a home game in over 2 years. Tonight was the closest they’d come; a mere 2 point difference. Kevin was fuming, his rage failing to hide the fear beneath. Dan and Allison chose to handle the press while the rest of the team filed into the locker room. Neil was the last to leave the court, still looking at the scoreboard when Andrew finally shoved him through the doors.

Neil sat down hard on the bench in front of his locker. Andrew regarded him for a moment before heading into the showers. He stayed under the stream for longer than necessary, washing off the sweat and blood from the game. He heard the rest of the team leave the showers and then the locker room; Andrew turned off the water.

Dressed, he returned to the locker room; Neil hadn’t moved from the bench, but his head had found its way into his hands. Andrew crossed over to him, taking a seat next to him. Neil was shaking one leg, a nervous tic he’d developed in recent months. Andrew pressed his thigh against Neil’s—the shaking lessened, but he wouldn’t look up.

“We won,” Andrew said.

Neil’s hands folded against his lips, but he didn’t speak. He stared out at nothing.

“Not sure if you noticed,” Andrew continued, looking for any sort of reaction.

“We _almost_ lost,” Neil whispered against his fingers.

Andrew knocked his knee against Neil’s, “I think the Moriyamas are going to have to take that up with my doppelgänger, not with you.”

Neil loosed a shaky breath, shifting slightly to look at Andrew. They held each other’s gaze for an eternity, an entire wordless conversation passing between them; Neil still spoke out loud, “They won’t accept anything less than the best. The best strikers have to succeed in offence, and pick up the defensive players’ slack.”

“You and Kevin _are_ the best. The best they’ve got; the best they’ll ever have. You breathe and sweat and _bleed_ for exy.”

Neil looked away, focusing on the doors across the locker room once more. His words came out in a whisper, “What if it’s not enough? What if it’ll never be enough? They’ll hurt my family, _this team_ —they could hurt _you_ —” Neil’s voice cracked on the last word and he closed his eyes. A single tear cut a path down his face a moment later.

Andrew reached out and grabbed Neil’s chin, making him face him once more. “Look at me,” he said.

Neil opened his eyes; they were glassy and impossibly blue, shifting as they looked for answers in Andrew’s face.

“The deal was that you would play this game for the rest of your life, so that _they_ could profit off of you. One mistake isn’t going to cancel out years of success; one failed game won’t ruin the rest of a perfect season. They know Kevin will play until he breaks something else; they’ll be satisfied with him coaching for a university of a professional team or for the fucking US Court. Exy is in his blood, no matter what.”

Another tear followed the first. Neil made to look away, but Andrew tightened his grip, gritting his teeth.

“It’s in your blood to run, and they _know_ you’ll run yourself into the ground with this damn game. They know they can’t break you; they’ve seen you get right back up too many times to make that mistake.” Andrew bared his teeth at Neil, “You think they’ll try to break me? They wouldn’t dare touch me; they can’t afford to make an enemy out of you.”

Andrew dragged Neil towards him, pressing their foreheads together.

“You’re not going to lose me, or this team, or your chance at finally living your god damn life”

He brought his hand up to cup Neil’s cheek, brushing away the tears with his thumbs; Neil leaned into his touch.

Andrew pulled back an inch to look into Neil’s eyes. “Alright?” he asked.

Neil sighed, corners of his mouth quirking upwards, “Alright.”

Andrew leaned forward to press his lips to Neil’s temple, before shoving him away.

“Now go take a shower; you reek.”

**Author's Note:**

> [read on tumblr](http://lady-gryffindor.tumblr.com/post/142038117458/9-things-you-said-while-i-was-crying-andrewneil)


End file.
